When a Passion for Animals Leads to a Life-Long Commitment to Their Future

Lindsey Chalk’s passion for animals accelerated when he was in the third grade. He read a book called Amazon Adventure, and it was a learning experience he never forgot. His passion grew through the years as he studied animals, their habitats, their lives and their challenges. He visited local zoos and aquariums when he traveled. He volunteered at a for-profit zoo, but it wasn’t the first-class zoo he’d expected. He wanted more.

In 2011, Lindsey became a volunteer at the Phoenix Zoo, and it was what he’d been looking for.

“It exemplifies the way a zoo should be run,” he says. “I greatly appreciate the animal enclosures that are spacious and the environment and feeding enrichment. The staff is always so helpful and friendly. But it is the animals and the connection I feel with so many of them that bring me back. Plus, the Zoo is constantly changing so there is always something new to learn or see.”

His first volunteer job at the Zoo was being a Trail Guide/Host, and then he became a Giraffe Encounter assistant. The giraffes have never forgotten him.

“I think they have a ‘thing’ for me,” he says with a smile. “Their eyes follow me when I walk by them. I guess they connect me with the fun and food they get on the Giraffe Encounter deck.”

Lindsey is a part-time writer and photographer and the idea for one of his next novels was inspired by his connection with animals.

“I have many, many favorites,” he admits, “but I am partial to the Great Brazilian anteaters because they are so weird and Bali mynas because they are so rare and beautiful.”

He’s proud of his photography. “I was in the first animal photography class at the Zoo and had one of my first photos featured on the Zoo calendar. My animal photography lately has been centered on hummingbirds and my dog.”

Lindsey has included the Phoenix Zoo in his estate planning and has become a member of the Antler Society, which took its name from deer that leave their antlers behind as nourishment for other animals.

He explains the reasoning for his philanthropy: “Wild animals have captured my imagination and given me joy for as long as I can remember. They have been one of the top passions in my life. It is from a grateful heart that I give back to them in this way.

“We are all responsible for respecting, protecting and nurturing the precious animals who share this world with us.”

He was in third grade when he discovered a love of wild animals that has never left him. And perhaps, Lindsey hopes, other children will come to the Phoenix Zoo and make the same miraculous discovery. So much to see and do at the Zoo. And the giraffes will be watching.

If animals give you joy and you’d like to ensure their future, please join Lindsey in the Antler Society. For details, email or call Liz Toth at ltoth@phoenixzoo.org or 602.286.3881.